GT, a Dim Bulb That Shines Only to the Right

Late last week in a press release our congressman Glenn "GT" Thompson was full of praise for CBS News for the latter's manure spreading effort.

U.S. Representative Glenn `GT’ Thompson today praised  CBS News, which reported the Administration’s real estimate of costs per household for the Cap and Trade legislation.

There are a  few thing to correct in this opening paragraph. It really wasn't "CBS News" doing the reporting. It was CBS News libertarian  cyber-correspondent  Declan McCullagh. Second, the report didn't concern the cost of Waxman-Markey, the Cap and Trade legislation currently under consideration, it considered an early proposal by the Obama administration.

GT goes on to quote McCullagh.

“The Obama administration has privately concluded that a cap and trade law would cost American taxpayers up to $200 billion a year, the equivalent of hiking personal income taxes by about 15 percent,” according to CBS reporter Declan McCullagh.  “At the upper end of the administration’s estimate, the cost per American household would be an extra $1,761 a year.”

Which leads GT to ask,

How is the average American household going to pay for this added almost $2000 a year?” ...  “How are my constituents, in some of the lowest employment areas in the state, supposed to pay for this?”

GT, GT,....GT, you really have to read Waxman-Markey which

...would establish a more limited carbon market, distribute most permits for free to polluting industry, with provisions that compel utilities to pass along their value to ratepayers, and provide further assistance for low-income consumers.

Perhaps GT will someday explain why he doesn't have similar concerns for his constituents when it comes to the very real skyrocketing cost of health care. In the meantime,  you can read more about what's wrong with McCullagh's report and McCullagh himself here.

Technorati Tags: Rep. Glenn Thompson (R.PA-5), Cap and Trade, Waxman-Markey, Obama, Declan McCullagh,

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More On Higher Ed Reform

The chancellor and vice chancellor at Berkeley, Robert Birgeneau and Frank Yeary, have an intriguing  proposal for higher ed reform in the Washington Post. Here is the meat of it.

Given the precarious condition of state finances, we propose that President Obama emulate President Lincoln by creating a 21st-century version of the Morrill Act.

Specifically, the federal government should create a hybrid model in which a limited number of our great public research and teaching universities receive basic operating support from the federal government and their respective state governments. Washington might initially choose a representative set of schools, perhaps based on their research achievements, their success in graduating students, commitment to public service and their record in having a student body that is broadly representative of society.

Washington would provide sufficient additional funding for operations and student support to ensure broad access and continued excellence at these universities. A portion of these resources would ensure that out-of-state and in-state students pay the same tuition and have access to the same financial aid packages. The combined federal-state funding must be sufficient for these universities to maintain their preeminence as well as charge moderate fees to all U.S. citizens and permanent residents.

Philanthropy must continue to be an important resource. To ensure stability, the federal government should agree to match, at a rate of 2-to-1, and the state government at 1-to-1, private endowment funds raised by these public universities for 10 years. If such a public-private partnership raised private philanthropy of $150 million per year, the university would have $6 billion contributed toward a new endowment at the end of 10 years. The payout from this new federal-state endowment would provide operating and other support such as need-based scholarships and would essentially secure excellence and access for a generation.

As with any daring scheme, the devil is in the details. This proposal for a national federal-state university system may require new models of financial governance that include federal and state oversight. This proposal would require these universities to accept a more diverse geographic mix of students, with perhaps fewer students from their own state. Yet such problems are solvable, if there is a will. The great benefit to all states, particularly those that do not yet have internationally acclaimed public universities, would be the opportunity for residents to attend other flagship state universities without paying out-of-state fees.

As I wrote in my previous post, I'll soon have some thoughts here on what I think should be done with Higher Ed in Pennsylvania. But any Federal intervention in public higher ed along the line proposed by Birgeneau and Yeary which would require a new model of financial governance,  would also, almost certainly, require a reorganization of Pennsylvania's mishmash of state-related and state-own schools. So the reforms that I'm thinking about would likely dovetail nicely with this type Federal intervention.

More from me latter. 


Technorati Tags: Higher Education Reform, New Morrill Act, Birgeneau and Yeary

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The Big Dog on Higher Ed

I've been thinking a lot lately about what should be done to reform Higher Ed in Pennsylvania. I hope to post something in the not too distant future when time allows. In the meantime, consider Bill Clinton's take on the situation nationally.

One of the main thrusts of this year’s CGI conference is discussing ways to build up human capital through public and private investments. This is particularly important here in America, as our educational attainment has stagnated, and we have lost the competitive academic edge that we used to hold over the rest of the world. Clinton touched on this, lamenting our falling academic standing:

In the last eight years, we went from first to tenth in terms of the percentage of 25-34 year olds holding a bachelor’s degree. That’s the most important unknown statistic out there…We are headed into long-term economic decline if we don’t do something about it.

He added that prohibitive tuition at college is contributing toward this problem, as “higher education institutions are pricing themselves into America’s decline.” Indeed, this is a real problem. As Michael Mandel at Economics Unbound pointed out, “college costs are up by 23 percent since 2000. But real pay for young college grads is down 11% over the same period.” Meanwhile, two-thirds of today’s college students borrow to pay for tuition, and their average debt load is $23,186.

Technorati Tags: Bill Clinton, Higher Education Reform, Pennsylvania, Penn State

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An Annoucement on the Pennsylvania Budget is Imminent

The following comes from the Harrisburg Patriot-News

Gov. Ed Rendell plans to make an announcement at 8 p.m. and it has been confirmed that he will be announcing a budget deal.

[...]

The roughly $28 billion deal contains at least one new revenue source at the governor's insistence beyond what was in the plan crafted last week by leaders of the House Democratic and Senate Republican and Democratic caucuses, according to a source.

Technorati Tags: Pennsylvania budget, Rendell

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NCAA President Miles Brand Has Died

From USAToday,

Brand died Wednesday afternoon at age 67, ending a nine-month battle with pancreatic cancer and an NCAA tenure that began in January 2003.

Who, oh who, might replace him?

Speculation on a potential successor falls on Adams and includes a number of university presidents and chancellors: Graham Spanier of Penn State, Mary Sue Coleman of Michigan and Walt Harrison of Hartford, who has been instrumental in drawing up the series of academic measures. Franklin also has been mentioned.

Oh, please,please, please,  let it be Graham. He'd love the job. And we love to see him go. Let him work his magic elsewhere.

Technorati Tags: Penn State, Spanier, Miles Brand, NCAA

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Somewhere in State College There's a Retired Prof Sitting in Front of His Computer Screen...

... muttering, "what the fuck?"

This is hilarious. The woman in Micheal Balsam's video shown shutting  down his show is  identified, in this blog post by Balsam's boss Matt Hurtt, as faculty member  Becky Miller. I'm guessing that would be this Rebecca Miller, Staff Assistant VI Student Affairs. Not quite a faculty member....it gets better.

He's sent Miller  an email protesting her actions and posted an email address suggesting that other do the same. But the email address that he posts is for Professor Emeritus of Engineering Science and Mechanics, Russell Messier.

Technorati Tags: stupid winger tricks, Penn State, CampusReform

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CampusReform.org Comes to Town

Some guy named Micheal Balsam put up a table and tent the other day in front of the HUB and video taped his efforts to sign up students for a firearms club (h/t Andy at Onward State). His show was shutdown by  campus authorities, which,  of course, he video taped.  He posts  some of this  video to YouTube with a complaint about his first amendment rights being abridged.  I love Andy's response to Balsam's whining over at Onward States.

You’re allowed to yell and hold signs, but setting up structures on private university property is illegal.  Otherwise, the Willard Preacher would preach from a replica of Noah’s Ark.

There are two other videos on his YouTube channel. One is also shot in front of the HUB with him doing the same schtick over abortion and another was shot at  Slippery Rock University.

Balsam doesn't show up in the Penn State student directory or the local phone directory.  So who the hell is he and why is stirring things up here in Happy Valley?

A clue can be found on his YouTube channel. One of the four subscribers to his channel  is CampusReform.org.

CampusReform.org  is a new social networking site for college conservatives affiliated with The Leadership Institute,  an old school inside the beltway outfit which trains conservative hacks. Its founder,  Morton Blackwell,   is close to the center of the web known as the vast right wing conspiracy, with  roots going  back to Barry Goldwater's 1964 presidential campaign.  Blackwell  got his start in politics with the College Republicans and  as Franklin Foer reported in the New Republic a few years ago, "Republicans learn their dirty tricks from practicing on one another," as College Republicans.

The mission statement of CampusReform.org begins

CampusReform.org is designed to provide conservative activists with the resources, networking capabilities, and skills they need to revolutionize the struggle against leftist bias and abuse on college campuses.

It has pages set up for colleges across the nation where students can report on sordid   "left wing" stuff going on at their schools.

Balsam, the non-Penn Stater,  has an account at CampusReform.org  under the Penn State Main Campus page,  but he isn't just some dimwitted schmuck inspired by the Teabaggers that happened to sign up.

Balsam is a Leadership Institute Field Representative, also known as an outside agitator.

It should come as no surprise that he also has an account on the Slippery Rock page and I'm sure on other Pennsylvania college pages as well. I'm not going to waste my time digging down that hole.

Other than snitching on campus leftists, CampusReform.org has a whole lot of suggestions for budding Karl Roves. Here's one that any Penn Stater with a bit of historical memory will get a chuckle out of.

Do liberal activists control your student government? How many hundreds of thousands of dollars have these leftist sucked from your student fees? Do the student government officials claim to speak for the entire campus community as they force the advancement of their leftist ideology? It’s time to fight back! Regain control of your student government! The Leadership Institute will teach you how.

The last time the College Republicans took control of student government at Penn State things didn't work out too well for them.

Pictures posted on the personal Web site of College Republicans chair Brian Battaglia spurred a strong response from student groups and university officials yesterday, with some calling for his resignation.

The photographs, taken at a private Halloween party at Battaglia's apartment, show multiple students in what Battaglia called "controversial or politically charged costumes," which included portrayals of Undergraduate Student Government (USG) Vice President Takkeem Morgan, an "oversodomized frat pledge," "sorostitutes," a "liberal hippie" and a member of the Ku Klux Klan.

[...]

..Battaglia called unrelated reasons, he resigned as a USG town senator early Wednesday morning, before these events transpired..

The bottom line is that CampusReform.org is a new organization, but it has  a deep pocketed, well connected, smooth patron in Morton Blackwell. While it has superficial resemblances to a  clownish David Horowitz operation, Blackwell's track record suggests that CampusReform.org has the potential to be far more dangerous.

We on the left should be prepared to go head to head with  CampusReform.org  before it grows too strong.

Technorati Tags: Penn State, CampusReform.org, Micheal Balsam, outside agitator, wingnuts, Morton Blackwell

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A Year of Challenges...

The Board of Trustees met today to talk things over and to watch the latest promotional video out of The Old Main Propaganda Shop titled The 2009 State of the University Address. This year Graham decided not to prance around in the Nittany Lion get up and he focused on research, teaching and service, rather than his ability to borrow money to build buildings.

While the video is more subdued than last year's effort, it comes off as an extended version of one of those school promos you'll see run on any fall Saturday during the halftime of a college football broadcast. And after a brief nod to the fact that no one got raises and people had to work harder this year-"increased workloads, sacrificed salary increases,...." yada yada yada...- there really isn't any mention of how the Great Recession has impacted the state of the university.

It's happy talk in somber tones.

Speaking of somber tones and buildings, The Penn State Propaganda Portal tries to downplay Penn State's continued spending on buildings with a piece of bullshit headlined Capital plan to focus on facility renewal

Penn State's Board of Trustees Friday (Sept. 11) received an update on the University's capital plan, which will focus strongly on renewal of existing facilities. The updated plan will guide construction at University campuses for the next four years through 2013.

Renewal of existing facilities... it sounds so responsible in these tough times. Let's take a closer look at what's on deck.

• A new classroom and laboratory at Penn State Berks 
• Additions and renovations to the Henderson
• Additions and renovations Moore Buildings at University Park
• Replacing outdated research and teaching greenhouses
• A replacement for Fenske Lab, a chemical engineering building.
• A phased renovation of South Halls
• At Penn State Hershey, plans continue to construct a new Children's Hospital
• Construction of a new softball facility

That's eight projects in total the fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh items on the list are all new construction. The second and third items on the list are, at least in part, new construction. That leaves only the renovation of South Halls as purely renewal of an existing facility. How much will this modest renewal cost? Let's try $820 million. A year of challenges ...indeed.

In two separate article, it was announced that Old Main would be spending $6.4 million on a new control tower at University Park Airport and that

Penn State Erie, The Behrend College, will purchase the facility that is home to its Early Learning Center in Knowledge Park on the southeastern edge of campus, as approved by the Penn State Board of Trustees today.
[...]
...The cost to purchase the 8,568-square-foot Early Learning Center facility, currently owned by GEIDC, is projected to be $225,000.

Ah yes, a year of challenges....it really is challenging to keep up that level of spending while convincing people to work harder without raises.

Technorati Tags: Penn State, economic crisis, state of the university, Spanier, borrow, spend

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A Tale of Two Weather Tycoons

From today's headlines, comes the tale of two weather tycoons.

---

Joel N. Myers, the founder, president and chairman of AccuWeather Inc. and current Penn State trustee and alumnus, has committed $2 million to help ensure Penn State’s continued international leadership in meteorology, University President Graham B. Spanier announced at the Board of Trustees meeting today

---

Over the years,... [Frank Batten,Sr., founder of the Weather Channel,]  donated more than $223 million to schools and other educational organizations. His donations included a 2007 gift of $100 million to his alma mater, the University of Virginia, to establish the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy, and a $60 million gift in 1999 to the university’s Darden Graduate School of Business Administration.

---

Just sayin'....

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One More Time, The Washington Monthly College Rankings are Shoddy!!!!!!!

Near the end of a discussion in today's New York Times of a new book on college graduation rates and the failure of schools to graduate low income students in a reasonable time David Leonhardt writes

Washington Monthly magazine has published a new college ranking based in part on graduation rates. (Kudos to Penn State, among others.)

This is very frustrating because the book, Crossing the Finish Line, by William Bowen ,an economist and former Princeton president, Michael McPherson ,an economist and former Macalester College president, and Matthew Chingos, a doctoral candidate, by all appearances is based on careful data analysis, while the Washington Monthly rankings are clearly a shoddily executed marketing devices.

So it bears going over one more time how shoddy the Washington Monthly ranking is.

"The University of Wyoming is facing protests over...

...its decision to name a center for international students after Dick Cheney, the former vice president, who donated $3.2 million that was used for the program..." I don't know...I think The Richard B. Cheney International Student Detention Center has a rather nice ring to it.

Technorati Tags: Cheney, humor, protests, University of Wyoming

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We Cleaned Their Clocks On a Worthless Ranking...And We Couldn't Be Prouder

As I promised in an earlier post, I do have more to say about the Washington Monthly National University Rankings, although it is getting increasingly difficult for me to get worked up over rankings such as the these which most likely don't drive policy at universities. But when The Old Main Propaganda Shop issues a boastful and immature response like this one, it gets a little bit easier to get worked up.

The rest of the Big Ten also fared well in Washington Monthly's rankings. Following Penn State were University of Michigan, ranked No. 18; Ohio State University, No. 20; University of Illinois, No. 24; University of Wisconsin, No. 30; Michigan State University, No. 34; Northwestern University, No. 39; Purdue University, No. 48; University of Minnesota, No. 50; University of Iowa, No. 64; and Indiana University, No. 83.

Nine other Pennsylvania schools also made the list, although only four made the top 100: University of Pittsburgh, ranked No. 43; University of Pennsylvania, No. 59; Carnegie Mellon University, No. 75; and Widener University, No. 85.

The Bullshit Artists in the Propaganda Shop wanted everyone to know that Dear Ole State cleaned the clocks of its rivals, so they decided to "praise" the solid, but not as good showing, of these other schools. If you doubt this was their motivation, consider that a couple of years ago Penn State Hershey Medical Center was ranked thirty out of 50 hospitals by USN&WR in one category of pediatric care. UPenn and UPMC cleaned Hershey's clock, but The Old Main Propaganda Shop didn't see fit to congratulate these schools for their fine showing.

Anyway, back to the Washington Monthly. These rankings are supposed to measure the schools contributions to the public good. The overall ranking is based on three composite measures of public good, Social Mobility, Research, and Service. The ranking on Social Mobility is based on two factors, the percentage of students with Pell Grants and the differential between predicted six year graduation rate and actual six year graduation rate. The predicted rate is based on a model which takes into account the percentage of students on Pell Grants and average SAT scores. The ranking on Research is based on five factors, the total number of research dollars; the number of graduates with bachelors degrees that go on to received Ph. D.'s , this year corrected for school size; the number of STEM Ph.D.'s awarded, percentage of faculty with significant awards and percentage of faculty in the National Academies. The ranking on Service is based on three factors, the number of alumni who serve in the Peace Corp, the percentage of students in ROTC and the percentage of funds in federal work-study money that goes to community service.

Whether these rankings are a valid measure of public good is worthy debate to be have, but is not the one that I want to have here. You can go over to the Washington Monthly's Political Animal blog to engage in that debate. The question that interests me is why does Penn State rank so high?

See Specter's State College Town Hall Meeting For Yourself

George Chriss just informed me via email that he's uploaded a video to Moving Image Archives of Senator Arlen Specter's August 12th Town Hall meeting in State College. You can download it here.

George also is asking for volunteers to  help  annotate and transcribe this and the other videos he's uploaded to the site. These include Board of Trustees and UPUA meetings amongst others.

Technorati Tags: Specter, health care, town hall

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Penn State Falls Four Places...

...in the Washington Monthly's Annual College ranking. I've been critical of their rankings in past because of flaws which I thought inflated Penn State rank. I'm sure I'll have more to say about this year's results latter.

Technorati Tags: Washington Monthly's College ranking, Penn State

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